In love since childhood
by mariannesinger16
Summary: Is it normal to fall in love with your best friend? Is it any less normal if you're the same gender? WARNING: Contains yaoi/shounen-ai.


Tachibana Makoto and I have been friends since... honestly, I don't even remember. All I know is that he's always been there for me, and he's the best friend I could ever ask for.

I'm usually pretty quiet, and I have trouble talking to people and making friends. Makoto was the one who reached out to _me_. He somehow let himself in to my personal bubble, and he just became a voice I could listen to without any trouble.

Normally being around people annoys me, but he was different from any other people who wanted to be my "friend." He never constantly hounded me with any questions, he never tried to start up a uninteresting conversation, he just took my hand and smiled.

That smile. It's a smile that's greeted me every day, that brought warmth to my chest. Honestly, I wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for that smile. If it wasn't for Makoto.

And yet... I want things to change. I don't want us to be "brothers" anymore. I want to be able to express such stronger feelings towards him openly, I want to be able to hold him tighter than I ever have before.

... But... if I were to tell him how I feel, there's a chance things would change in another way than I want them to.

I'm... I'm a man. I don't know how Makoto would react to learning that his best friend growing up was homosexual, and homosexual for him.

I don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose the first person who reached out to me. But, I want to freely love him, I want to be more than friends. Should I take the chance he'll accept me, or leave me?

I don't know. I honestly don't know what to do...

A hand touches my shoulder. My gaze turns around to see my everything worriedly staring at me.

"Haru?" he asks. "What's wrong? Why're you crying?"

I touch my face, feeling the water running down my cheeks. I look up towards his eyes as more tears fell from mine. My arms wrap around him as I sob into his chest.

He doesn't ask what's wrong, he just hugs me back. This warmth... I don't want to lose it.

"Shh..."

A comforting sense brushes against my face, subduing my sobs. I don't know what it is, but I crave more of it.

"It's all right," a broad voice whispers. "I'm here with you now."

That voice... It's so peaceful...

When I open my eyes, a light blush tints my cheeks as I notice my head is still resting on Makoto's chest. More heat spreads across my face as a soft hand gently rubs down my back.

"Are you awake?" Makoto asks, earning my attention. Did I fall asleep? "Are you all right?"

I'm too ashamed to keep looking him in the eye.

"Yes..."

"Why were you crying?"

I don't know what to say. I don't want to risk losing him. But it's so painful... I hate this...

"You don't want to tell me?" he asks. "That's fine."

"I love you," I say suddenly, making his head turn down to me. "I love you... I'm gay, Makoto..."

... There, I said it. Now what?

"... We need to get going," he says with a smile as if he didn't hear me. "We're like, twenty minutes late for school."

Why is he acting like I didn't say anything?

"Didn't you hear me? I said I'm-"

"I heard." He stands up, still holding me in his arms. "I personally don't swing that way, but I don't mind if you like me. You are my best friend after all."

I can't move, I can't talk, I can't blink, all I can do is stare.

"Th... then..." I struggle to complete my sentence as my face burns. "... d-do you mind if I kiss you?"

He laughs.

"Sure."

My eyes widen. He's coming to me. I can't believe this is happening. Am I dreaming?

The feeling of him slowly entering me, and the touch of his lips against mine is real. I'm awake.

We slowly separate. He's still smiling at me, and I can feel my entire face burning.

"Now can we start heading to school? We're gonna get expelled if we're over an hour late, you know!"

I can't help but smile.

I'm glad to be walking to school with him again. Just me, and him. My fingers weave through his as our gazes lock. This is how it always was, and this is how it should be.

 **A/N: I love this pairing so much. ;-; One of my yaoi OTPs, close to no 1. Augh, if only Free! was an actual yaoi anime. Then maybe it'd be better than average! But, sadly Fanfiction is the closest we're ever gonna get. Enjoy, fellow MakoHaru shippers. :3**


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